COVID-19 Tips from Taipei

Below is a Facebook post from an acquaintance who is living abroad…. 

Hi to all American friends and family:

I wanted to share some tips on how to protect yourself from COVID-19 (Corona virus). After reading alot of news from the States, it seems there’s a much to say about the virus outbreak, but not much information about how to live with it and keep yourselves healthy.

I have been living in Taipei for the last month and a half. Here the virus has been contained, with only cluster outbreaks emerging within families. The way to protect yourself is to mind your hands and germ hotbeds. Also, limit the amount of news you watch about it! It’s good to stay informed about new cases and their locations, but watching analysis about it will drive you crazy. I speak from my own experience.

Here’s some tips that we have been told to follow here. They have proven effective.

1. Wash hands as often as you can. Especially when you come home, before you eat and after you’re out in public. ALSO, get hand sanitizer and bring it with you wherever you go.
2. Face masks help you to not touch your face – eyes, nose, and mouth. Touching your eyes nose and mouth with unclean hands is the easiest way to infect yourself. (The virus is not airborne, it’s liquid particle transmitted. Face masks are especially needed in confined closed spaces like metro, supermarket, movies theater etc.)
3. Disinfect your phone everyday. You can use a disinfecting spray or Clorox wipes.
4. Disinfect doorknobs. Try not to touch doorknobs in public places directly.
5. Disinfect your eye glasses.
6. Wash hands towels in your home daily.
7. Do not share shower towels with anyone.
8. Drink hot water, ginger, ginseng and exercise everyday. Heat kills the virus
9. Do laundry regularly. Try not to re-wear clothing. Wash clothes in warm and hot water.
10. Keep your immune system up, take vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc.
11. You can even buy a spray bottle of alcohol, keep it in your car, and spray yourself down when you get back into your car.

Hoarding groceries, toilet paper, face masks, etc is NOT HELPFUL. You will spend a lot of money and waste a lot of resources. Self-quarantine is ONLY needed IF YOU’VE TRAVELED TO HIGH RISK AREAS. Symptoms of the virus are fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath. If you have a fever, monitor it and stay home. If it goes above 100 degrees, go to the hospital.

Share this with friends and family!
Click to see original post